Reputation isn't Everything
by bittie752
Summary: Dr John Smith had a few skeletons in his closet. So he hired Rose Tyler to help clean up his image not knowing that he would fall for her. Will she be able to overcome his past and her own so that they can find happiness in each other?


**Happy Birthday to my lovely and wonderful friend LittleWhoMouse**

**~oOo~**

He didn't even stop to knock as he entered Rose's office. He never knocked, and it frustrated her to no end. More than likely, he just assumed that when you're the boss you never have to respect your employee's privacy.

"Welcome, Dr. Smith, please come in. By all means make yourself at home. Of course I'm not busy," she snarked, not bothering to look up from her computer.

Smiling his trademark smile, he rounded her desk and sat down on the edge, quietly invading her personal space. "Rose, how many times do I have to ask you to call me Doctor? My friends just call me the Doctor."

Pushing her chair back, she glared at him. "Dr. Smith, I'm the head of the PR department for your company, not your friend. You are my boss, and I'm your employee. Not friends," she sighed. It's not that she didn't want to be friends with him. She did. Outwardly, he was nice enough, even though he was a little rude at times, but John Smith had a reputation for being completely wrapped up in himself. Most of the time his head was in the clouds, and he barely acknowledged the people around him. Not to mention the almost endless supply of female companions he had. All of that was enough to keep any feelings Rose might be developing at bay.

She put up walls to protect herself from the incredibly sexy man now in front of her. If he knew that she was even slightly attracted to him, he'd use it to his advantage and she'd be crushed when he used her and tossed her aside. In some ways he reminded her of Jimmy. Although she couldn't see Dr. Smith using her as a punching bag.

"Rose, you've been my right hand for almost a year now. Can you please just call me Doctor? And I really would like it if you consider me a friend." He flashed her that thousand watt grin. It was easy to see why some women would throw themselves at his feet. Why did she find herself wanting to be one of them? She knew better than to take someone at face value. "I consider you to be my friend," he admitted, bumping her leg with his.

"Fine, but just for today. I wouldn't want you to think that you've won me over or something." She wasn't able to keep herself from smiling back at him. "Doctor, to what do I owe for the pleasure of your company?"

"Rene, my overzealous new secretary, replied to the invitation to the Vitex children's charity gala tomorrow night with a plus one." He absentmindedly fingered papers on her desk while he chuckled at her confused look. If this was an attempt to get her to go out on a date with him it wouldn't be the first time, but she refused to be a notch on his belt.

"Ok, and that's a problem because?" Please don't let him ask her, not again.

"Well, I don't have a plus one to take." He gave her his puppy dog eyes.

Rose snorted. "Dr. Smith, you shouldn't have a problem finding a date for some fancy fundraiser. If you let me know the name of the lady that you wish to invite, I can send her the standard public appearance packet. That way she can be fully prepared for what to expect."

His brow furrowed. "Public appearance packet?"

"It's something that Donna came up with to give your girlfriends before an event." Rose rolled her eyes. "A list of appropriate conversation topics for when they talk to investors. Contraceptives, because you tend to be careless about such things, or so I've heard. We also include an appropriate outfit for the occasion and make an appointment with a stylist for her hair and makeup. You have an image to maintain and that extends to the women that you choose to associate with."

He scrubbed his hands down his face. "I'm going to murder my sister. I don't care if she owns a third of the company. She's a dead woman. I cannot believe that she would do something like this. No strike that. I most certainly can."

Rose let out a small chuckle. John and Donna might have their fair share of fights but the two were the best of friends. Not for one second did Rose think he'd ever hurt Donna. He was much too scared of the redhead to try anything. "Well, despite what you think of the methods, they do keep you from making daily appearances in the papers. Not all exposure is good for you or the company. You're not known for having the best choices in dates. From what I've heard, your divorce was messy and expensive." It was a low blow but she needed to remind herself why it wasn't a good idea to get involved with the Doctor.

For a moment, he deflated. The easy smile slipped from his face, and his shoulders sagged. She was about to comment when he smiled brightly once more. "Come on, Rose, you never did anything crazy or impulsive when you were a kid? I may have dated around when I was younger and accidentally got married on a trip to Vegas, but how many of those packets have you had to use since you've been here?"

Rose looked away in embarrassment. The truth was that she'd never had to use a single one of those packets in the last year. On the rare occasion that John did go out or gone to an event, he went with a woman he already knew. Unfortunately, she also knew exactly the kind of damage that impulsive decision could make. Hers had cost her more than just money. She had finally left Jimmy after the third time he put her in the hospital.

He shook his head. "And you really shouldn't read the gossip rags. After growing up under a microscope, you, more than anyone, should know from tend to over-exaggerate things to sell papers. For the head of PR you sure don't pay much attention. I haven't had one single date in months."

Exhaling loudly, she clarified, "Your personal life is none of my business, Dr. Smith. And I do not read gossip rags for my amusement. If there was any possible way to avoid them I would. I simply keep track of your news coverage in order to maintain a close eye on your image."

"Well, Ms. Tyler." He leaned in closer to her, leaving her with less personal space than before. "I think you should know that I haven't had a date in months because none of the plethora of women who try to catch my eye has been worth my time. At least, not since I met a woman that I want to get to know better. Too bad she's too focused on my image to realize how much I fancy her." Leaning back, he finally put a little distance between them.

Her cheeks burned. Why did he have to be so damn sexy? She closed her eyes and shook her head clear. "I have a lot of work to do. Can you please just get to the point?"

Cocking his head to one side he gave her a lopsided grin. "Well, I need a date, and you love these charity things. It is your father's company's event, after all. So will you be my date? My plus one? The food will be fantastic, and it will give you an excuse to dress up to the nines. I remember the Christmas party; you looked beautiful in a ball gown. Not that you don't at all times, but when you dress up…wow."

She shot him her own cocky grin. "Did you learn nothing at last month's sexual harassment seminar?"

Abruptly John stood and took a few steps towards the door. "I thought that you liked helping children and keeping me out of trouble. Guess I was wrong. You'll probably need to make sure you have one of Donna's appearance packets ready. I hope that whomever I pick doesn't cause too much of a problem for my PR department. You never know, I might pick someone completely inappropriate, and the fall out could cause lots of work for that poor soul." Turning again, he walked away.

"Wait," she called before he left the room. The bastard was pretty much blackmailing her into this. Pete Tyler, the founder of Vitex, was her father. He knew that she was going to be there. Why couldn't he just go and meet her there?

He tried to suppress his grin as he slowly turned back to face her, bouncing on his heels like a kid at Christmas. "Yes, Ms. Tyler?"

"John, Doctor, I can't go to the fundraiser as your plus one," she replied, and his face fell. "You can come as mine. I guarantee you that my table is better than the one you are assigned to." Mostly because she was on the planning committee for her father's favourite charity, and she'd made sure that Dr. Smith's table was farthest away from her own table. As close to the loo as she could seat him without actually putting him in it.

"But you'll come with me? As my date?" He grinned and rocked forward on his heels.

The corners of her own lips twitched watching him. "Yes, as your date." She hated letting him win, but she couldn't stand the thought of that Barbie doll he called a secretary or some other tart on his arm making a mockery of something Rose cared deeply about.

"Great. Pick you up at 6 o'clock? I'm sure that you will look as beautiful as always. Oh, and feel free to take the rest of the afternoon off in case you need to finish with the arrangements for the gala. I know how much it means to you. Don't worry, I'll talk to the boss, I know he can be a bit of a hard arse about punching the time clock." He quickly crossed the room, invading her personal space once again. Placing a quick kiss on her cheek, he grinned. "Until tomorrow night then?" he asked huskily.

"See you then," she assured him and he was out the door quickly, presumably before she could change her mind. Raising a hand she touched her cheek, still able to feel his lips there, electricity flowing from the spot. Oh boy, was she in trouble.

**~oOo~**

John Smith was a successful man. At the age of thirty-one he was the majority owner of the largest private scientific development companies in the Britain. His sister and her husband, Lee had invested almost all of Donna's inheritance in his company and he would be forever in her debt. She ran his human resources department and apparently liked to tell women that he was interested in that he slept around.

Alright, so his indiscretions when he was younger were one of the main reasons that he needed a tough as nails public relations manager. Even though he had been out of any sort of party scene for almost a decade, several of his exes had sold several unflattering stories to various papers and websites in the past few years. Apparently they wanted their fifteen minutes of fame at his expense now that he was a successful entrepreneur. The more successful he became, the looser people's tongues became.

Thankfully, the friends he had chosen in the last few years had been more trustworthy but damage had already been done. Donna knew Rose Tyler from various social circles. Rose had grown up in the spotlight as the heiress to a large conglomerate. Not that she was some sort of spoiled posh tart, as so many of her peers tended to be. No, Rose had gone to college and earned her position in the PR department at Vitex. So on Donna's recommendation, the Doctor hired Rose. It was one of the best decisions he'd ever made.

In the past eleven months, she had improved both the company's and his personal image by leaps and bounds. She had also been tying him personally in knots. There was nothing about Rose Tyler that he didn't like. Apparently though, his dear sister was the reason that any time he had tried to get close to Rose, she had shied away. At least now he knew what kind of damage control he needed to do. Damage control seemed to be the story of his life lately.

Yes, Rose was physically one of the most beautiful women he had ever laid eyes on, but she was so much more. She was funny and had him laughing almost every time he managed to get her to let her guard down. She was also incredibly smart, able to keep up with some of the brightest in the company; she might not understand the details but she got the big picture. She was also one of the most compassionate people he knew. One of the employees had lost his wife to cancer a few months ago. While she was sick, Rose arranged for people to pitch in with food for his family, arranged for a housekeeper and some help with their three kids. And she did it all while taking no credit. He admired her so very much.

But most importantly she challenged him. She could keep up with his verbal sparring like no one else and she never took any of his whinging. His charms had also seemed to be ineffective on her, until yesterday. It was the seventeenth time he had asked her out. The first fifteen times she had shot him down flat. With most women he would ask once and simply move on without a second thought. There was just something about Rose, a certain spark they had together that wouldn't let him give up.

The 16th time he had asked her out was a few weeks ago. He had tickets and backstage passes to a Lorde concert, a gift from one of their clients, and had asked her to join him. It was her favourite artist. She had been genuinely disappointed to tell him no. Her little brother had gotten sick at school, and her parents were out of town. Family was the most important thing to her, and that was something that he could respect. Which was why he was thrilled when Rene had RSVP'd to the fundraiser. He was pretty sure that his secretary had be angling to go herself, considering she waited until the last minute to let him know and had worn that low cut red dress yesterday. First thing Monday he was having her transferred to another department, hopefully one that he had little to no reason to ever visit.

Taking one final look in the mirror, he grabbed his wallet and his keys and headed out the door. Skilfully he pulled his car into traffic and navigated it to Rose's flat. He found a parking spot out front and pulled in. Checking his watch, it was 5:58, two minutes to spare. He picked up the single red rose he had brought for her and practically skipped to her door. Ringing the bell, he stepped back.

He heard her call out some words that he could understand and then the quick shuffling of feet. "Sorry, I'm not quite ready yet," Rose apologized as she opened the door. "I figured I had at least an extra ten minutes."

His eyes drifted over her. She was wearing a vintage gold ball gown. Her hair was down and she had curled it. Normally, she wore it up for work, and he quite liked it. Not that he wasn't enchanted by her at all times, because he was.

"Rose, you look beautiful." He extended the rose to her. "This is for you."

She took the rose and lifted it to her nose. "Thank you, it's lovely. Let me go put this in some water and grab my shoes."

"Take your time. I'm sure that no one would be the least bit upset if we were a little late," he replied with a grin.

Rose shivered. "Oh, I'm sure my mother would have plenty to say about that. I'll be right back." She left the room, and John took the opportunity to survey the place. The style was simple yet elegant, nothing flashy or over the top. Instead it was warm and homey, very different than John's home. His furnishings were expensive, functional and cold.

A few minutes later Rose returned, having added not only shoes but a necklace and hoop earrings to her attire. "I'm ready."

"I know I may start to sound like a broken record, but you are stunning," the Doctor said, unable to help himself.

"You're not so bad yourself." Taking her time she looked him up and down.

After he took a few turns so that she could enjoy him in all his tuxedoed glory, he gestured towards the door. "Shall we go?"

Rose nodded and grabbed her handbag.

Once they were in the lift, the Doctor took Rose's hand in his. "I'm so glad that you agreed to come with me tonight. I've wanted to take you out for a while now, and I think that my dear sister has done everything that she could to derail that."

Rose didn't say anything, and for a moment he was afraid he'd ruined everything already. The lift doors opened, and the Doctor led them out to the lobby and towards the street. "Don't be too hard on Donna. I don't have the best track record with guys. Donna knows that. She was just trying to protect me."

He opened his mouth to ask her what she meant, but Rose just shook her head and changed the subject. "So I see you decided to drive yourself."

Nodding, John opened the car door for Rose. "I did. I like to drive and do it whenever I can."

"It's nice to know that chivalry isn't dead," she teased once he slid into the driver's seat.

"One of the lessons my granddad drilled into my head: act like a gentleman when around a beautiful woman, especially when you are trying to impress her."

Rose felt her cheeks warm. "He must be one impressive man to teach you anything."

"Yeah, he's great. I bet you'd love him. I know he'd love you." He grinned at her and pulled out onto the road.

"I've heard many great things about him from Donna," she replied. "I'd love meet him one day."

For some odd reason his heart sped up at the thought of Rose meeting Granddad Wilf. It was good though, the prospect of Rose meeting the only family member that he had other than Donna. He needed to change the subject before his thoughts started straying to family dinners with Rose. "So," he cleared his throat. "Anything I should know about tonight?"

Rose giggled and a warmth spread through him. "Well, there will be a lot of influential people there tonight, including several members of Parliament. There will be lots of people with money as well, investors for your company. Tonight could be very lucrative for you, John."

"Doctor," he gently corrected her. "Tonight's not about investors though, Rose. It's a date, remember. You and me out together both looking smashing and having a great time."

"Sorry, Doctor. Old habits die hard." Out of the corner of his eye, he caught her blushing. "I guess I'm more used to these things being all about business, especially anything to do with Dad's company. Not to mention, I'm a bit out of practice on the dating thing."

He could sense that she was getting uncomfortable so he moved to something he hoped was more neutral territory. "So will your parents be attending the party tonight?"

"Yes," Rose said, sounding much more relaxed. "And be thankful that the first time my mum meets you will be in front of plenty of cameras and witnesses. She's less likely to give you the third degree that way. Dad will be alright though, and he'll help keep mum in line."

Despite the look of pure horror on his face at the mention of her mother making a scene, conversation flowed between them easily and Rose felt herself relax. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. So far he'd been nice, and boy did he look handsome in that tuxedo.

In what seemed like no time at all they had made it to the venue and after a few photos, he had swept her inside. If there was one thing that Rose Tyler knew, it was how to work a room. As the daughter of the founder and CEO of one of London's most thriving businesses, these types of parties were second nature to her. The Doctor took her hand and tucked it into the crook of his arm. He leaned in close, and she could feel his breath on her ear. "You're pretty good at this sort of thing. Between the two of us we probably know everyone in this place."

She felt the shivers travel down her spine at the contact. These kinds of sparks were something she had never felt before. When the room finally stopped spinning, the pair made their way through the crowd. In between and sometimes during conversations, the Doctor took advantage of the various trays of nibbles that were being passed around the room. Apparently, he loved nibbles. During all of it, he never let Rose out of his sight. He barely let her get out of arm's reach.

When Rose had introduced the Doctor to her mum and dad, he had kept his hand on the small of her back, almost as if he was anchoring himself to her. Rose had been careful what she had told her parents about her boss, had kept the rumours about affairs and women as far from her mother's ears as she could. In fact every time she had spoken to Jackie in particular, Rose had been very complimentary of Dr. John Smith and his company. Jackie was one of the biggest gossips in all of London. Lord knows that anything unflattering said in her the presence would be known by everyone in high society within a few hours.

"He's a bit nice," Jackie Tyler told her daughter while the Doctor and Pete talked about the some new thing that the Doctor was working on. "Looks like maybe your tastes have improved. Maybe this one won't cause too much bad press for the family. Once we smooth over the fact that he's your boss."

Rose had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep her from saying anything inappropriate in public. After a moment she let out a long slow breath and said, "It's not like we're really dating or anything, Mum. This is a charity event, and he's my escort. There is nothing that would cause any type of scandal to the family."

"We'll see," Jackie replied, not quite believing her. Luckily there was an announcement that dinner would be served shortly.

The Doctor exchanged a few more pleasantries with her dad before leading her to their table. "I know that you were in charge of the seating arrangement. And I know where you were going to seat me. Don't even try to deny it." His tone was teasing. "But didn't you want to sit with your parents?" he asked as he pulled out her chair for her.

"Ah, no, I didn't. I have dinner with them at least once a week, and besides, the Vitex table is reserved for the biggest donors. This is the table you want to be at." She gestured at the people seated around. "Doctor, meet my friends, Sarah Jane Smith, Harry Sullivan, Jack Harkness and Ianto Jones. These are the people that make these events worth coming to."

The Doctor got along well with Rose's friends. In fact, there were several times those old fuddy-duddies at neighbouring tables sent them scandalized looks because of their ruckus their boisterous laughter caused. The food was wonderful as always and, aside from one too many innuendos from Jack, dinner was a success. Soon enough the music started, and the dancing began.

"May I have this dance?" the Doctor asked, flashing her one of his most charming smiles and extending his hand to her. She took it, and he led her to the dance floor. One of his hands found the small of her back, and the other locked with hers. They seemed to fit together perfectly, even with the height difference. Reflexively, she laid her head against his chest and closed her eyes. For the first time tonight she truly let herself relax and simply enjoy the warmth of his arms, the smell of his cologne and the buzz of him humming along to the music.

Several people asked to cut in as the night progressed and each time either the Doctor or Rose politely declined. After about an hour he kissed her neck, just below her ear. "Do you want to get out of here?" His lips grazed her earlobe, and she shudder.

"Yes," she responded breathlessly. Her stomach fluttered in giddy anticipation of what was sure to come. They left the fundraiser, not even taking the time to say goodnight to her parents. When they reached the car, he shrugged off his jacket and tie before sliding into the front seat. Her imagining him taking her back to her place or his and seeing where the spark between them would lead was doing nothing to calm her nerves. It had been months since she'd had a date, let alone one that she was going to let _take her home_.

Normally she would never do such things on a first date or a second. She barely let anyone in after things had gone badly with Jimmy. No one had ever made her feel the way the Doctor did though. There was a spark, yes, but there was also a deeper connection. She admired his brilliance and his ability to make everyone feel at ease around him. But he was also funny, sweet but was just enough of an arse to keep him from being boring.

Once again he surprised her when he pulled up not to one of their flats but to a small park in her neighbourhood. He pulled a blanket out of the trunk before helping her out of the car. He led her to a small grassy area. She helped him unfold the blanket on the ground and kicked off her heels before sitting down. It was a warm summer night; too bad they were in the city or they could have enjoyed the stars.

"You know, this wasn't where I expected you to bring me," she whispered, laying her head on his shoulder.

He wrapped one arm around her and laced the fingers of his other hand through hers. "Really, what kind of boy do you take me for, Rose Tyler?"

"One with a questionable reputation, Dr. Smith." She smiled at the way he said her name.

Frustration edged into his voice. "Most of that is exaggerated by those stupid websites. You date two women who are willing to spread lies about you for money and sometime in the spotlight and they won't leave you alone long after the relationships are over. They're like sharks."

"You don't think it has anything to do with the fact that you yourself own one of the largest scientific development firms in the country, are one of the most brilliant scientists in the world, and not to mention you're wealthy and incredibly sexy." She hadn't meant to say the last part aloud.

"Maybe." He paused and looked down at her. "You think I'm brilliant?"

"Maybe…" she laughed, glad he didn't dwell on the sexy part.

He caressed her shoulder. "So tell me, why a clever, astonishing and _sexy _heiress to a small fortune went into public relations? The whole wide world at your fingertips and you chose to help people craft their image."

Ah, so he did notice that she called him sexy. "When I was younger I wanted to be a singer. I had a voice coach and dance lessons when I was a kid."

"What happened?" His fingers ran softly through her hair.

"When I was sixteen, I met a boy. He was the lead singer in a band: older, gorgeous and more than a bit of a bad boy. Mum hated him. Dad did everything that he could to keep him away from me. They warned me, and I didn't listen. One night I drained all the money I could out of my accounts and ran away with him. We went to Spain and didn't tell anyone where we had gone." Feeling vulnerable, Rose moved away from him and stared at her hands in her lap. Normally she wasn't this open with any one.

"He wasn't the nicest of blokes; nasty temper and he like to take it out on me." She cringed at the memories. "He did other things too, took pictures and video without me knowing. Said if I ever left him he'd sell it to the press. So I stayed at least until he broke my jaw. The nurse called my mum." The Doctor reached over and squeezed her hand. It took everything she had not to pull away.

"The whole thing could have been a huge scandal," she continued. "But Dad and the family solicitors took care of the legal, stuff. Injunctions so that he couldn't release the stuff he had on me. I also had him arrested for domestic assault. The trail was kept quiet, thankfully. Vitex's PR department came up with some story about me being off traveling the world with friends while I had my mouth wired shut." Her fists clenched. "Because of him, I grew up quick. I went back and got my A levels and then went on to University. I chose public relations because sometimes people make mistakes and they need help. The way that I did."

"Who was he?" the Doctor asked angrily.

She finally turned to look at him and was shocked to see fire in his eyes. "It doesn't matter. He's in jail and he's never going to hurt me again." Realizing that they were still holding hands, her fingers tightened on his. "I'm sorry I judged you by the things in your past. No one deserves that."

Sighing, he tugged on her hand and pulled her to him. He held her for a while before speaking again. "My parents died in a car crash when I was eighteen. I was angry and lonely, even though I had Granddad and Donna. You could say I went through a self-destructive phase. In three years, I blew through a large chunk of my inheritance unsuccessfully trying to buy people's affections. I made so many mistakes then." He ran his free hand through his hair. "By the time I realized how stupid I was, the damage was done. I've been paying for it ever since. Donna will never let me live it down, I'm afraid."

He laid back and she rested her head on his shoulder. "I like you for you," she murmured.

"And I feel the same about you," he replied, turning to kiss the crown of her head. They spent hours like this, telling secrets and talking about everything. Before they knew it they were watching the sunrise together.

Finally, the Doctor reluctantly shifted Rose off of him. "Well, I had better get you home before the early morning joggers arrive." He stood and helped her to her feet, neither one really wanting the night to end but knowing that at some point it had to.

He drove her home holding her hand tightly the entire way and walked her to her door.

"I really want to take you out again," he confessed as she turned the key in the lock.

"I'd love that. When?" She suddenly felt it hard to breath.

"Tonight. Dinner and a film? Just us." He lifted a hand to cup her face. "My place?"

"Sounds great." She leaned into his touch. "I'll… I'll call you when I get up from the very long nap I'm about to take." Her eyes flickered towards that bottom lip of his that always seem to be jutting out, tempting her.

"Yeah." He brushed his lips gently on hers. It was sweet and tender and it made her tremble. Reflexively, she brought her hands up and tangled them in his hair. Oh, how she wanted this and so much more. Before things could go any further, he pulled back and rested his forehead on hers.

"I'd better go," he said softly. "We both need sleep, I think."

She opened the door and stepped inside having to break contact before this went any further. "I'll call you then?" It took all her concentration just to keep standing.

"I look forward to it." Tugging on his ear, he smiled. "See you tonight, Rose Tyler." He took a step back, stumbling away from her door.

At least he was affected as much as she was. Closing the door after she watched him walk away, she realized that she could see this going somewhere. She yawned and headed to her bedroom to change and start that long nap. There was no doubt in her mind that she would be dreaming of Dr. John Smith and what tonight might have in store.


End file.
